Khaman Maluach just finished playing for the Duke Blue Devils for the first time.
As a blue-chip talent, Maluach committed to Duke and helped the Blue Devils win the ACC Tournament and finish with a 35-4 record.
Before falling to Houston, Duke defeated Mount St. Mary’s, Baylor, Arizona, and Alabama to earn the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Together with fellow freshman Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, Maluach declared for the NBA draft following the season.
According to a recent source, Maluach, a Duke prospect, might be selected with the second overall pick in the draft as he gets ready for the next phase of his basketball career.
According to Krysten Peek of Hoops HQ, Maluach has been linked to the San Antonio Spurs, who may partner him with NBA player Victor Wembanyama.
“Another buzzy name tied to the Spurs is Maluach, a 7-foot-2 center out of Duke,” Peek stated. “The Spurs could essentially be building twin towers with Wembanyama and Maluach and there is an appeal to drafting another young big that can learn and grow alongside Wembanyama.”
Later, Peek clarified that although choosing Maluach early in the selection could surprise some, the Spurs would still have a chance to choose him later in the lottery.
“It would be very unlikely that the Spurs would shock everyone and take Maluach with the No. 2 pick but they could be looking to trade down or package the No. 14 pick for a shot at the talented center,” Peek said.
Maluach would provide a great deal of variety to a squad that has had trouble making the playoffs in recent years.
Khaman Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game during his time with the Blue Devils last season.
On the defensive end, he also averaged 1.3 blocks and 0.2 steals.
On June 25, at 8 p.m. ET, the 2025 NBA draft gets underway. ABC and ESPN will broadcast the opening round.
